Stories about Syria from January, 2012
Russia, Syria: Anti- and Pro-Assad Facebook Comment Attack

Facebook pages of some Russian media outlets (e.g., Afisha, Bolshoi Gorod, Esquire Russia, Channel 1, MTV Russia) were deluged with copy-pasted comments [ru, ar] from users who appeared to be...
Iran: ‘Hostages in Syria are not military’
Free Syrian Army says it has taken hostage seven Iranians, five of whom were allegedly soldiers complicit in the Syrian government's crackdown on protesters. But an Iranian in Friendfeed writes...
MENA: Amnesty International's Forecast for 2012
“Repression and state violence is likely to continue to plague the Middle East and North Africa in 2012,” forecasts Amnesty International in an 80-page report. It documents the extreme violence deployed...
Global Voices in Dutch Looks Back on 2011
While the year 2012 is already well on its way, the translators of Global Voices in Dutch look back on 2011. Which posts stood out and what makes Global Voices so special?
Syria: Netizens Angered by Assad's Speech
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad gave a long rambling speech today, which further angered Syrians protesting against his dictatorship. When Arab leaders speak, netizens take to their keyboards and engage in taking a stab at heads of states who put themselves in such a position. Here is a round up of reactions from Twitter as Al Assad addressed his people - the same people being killed for protesting for democratic rights.
Libya: A Letter from a Woman in Benghazi
A Libyan woman from Benghazi is criticizing her countrymen for marrying non-Libyans after the revolution. She states that Libyan women are not getting rights equal to those granted to men in an open letter posted on Facebook. Mohamed ElGohary provides a translation from Arabic.
Syria: The Struggle for Freedom and the End of Silence
Since March 2011, when the uprisings that started in Tunisia and Egypt reaching Syria, thousands have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested and disappeared in the country. Leila Nachawati Rego takes a look at how citizen media has helped offer an alternative to state-controlled narrative.
Syria: Damascus “Suicide Attack” and State TV Fabrications
As massive demonstrations take place all over the country demanding the end of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad's regime, Syrian state TV reported a suicide bombing in the Midan neighborhood of Damascus on Friday, January 6. Videos circulated online show clear evidence of fabrication, writes Leila Nachawati Rego.
Global Voices Most Read Posts in 2011
Global Voices is no longer as lonely a media voice when it comes to reporting tweets and blog posts. Still, where mainstream media interest wanes, we're the ones who continue documenting local citizen media. Discover our top 20 list of most read posts for 2011.
Arab World: A Year In Pictures – Our Authors’ Selection
As we bid farewell to 2011 and look ahead to 2012, we asked our authors to share with you pictures that in their eyes have marked the past year in their respective countries. The following selection represents their choices.
Arab World: Best of Arab Blogs
OpenDemocracy shares its list of the Best of Arab blogs here. Check out their list, which includes blogs from Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Morocco, by clicking the link above.